Walter Hill had some pretty good hits with Red Heat, 48 Hours 1+2 and Last Man Standing. All of those movies have a pretty average story at best, but they rise above being average with some humour, decent action scenes and an amazing soundtrack.
In the case of 48 Hours, I feel this unfolds from the very beginning. The unnerving saxophone sound gives you a feeling of impending danger and really drives the movie. It's different from the soundtrack Horner made for the other movies, but I think it's his best out of them (although Red Heat is very good too).
The movie also feels VERY 80s, which to me is a good thing. I was born at the end of 85 and didn't get to experience much of the 80s, but most of my all time favorite shows and movies are usually in the late 70s or 80s. It just seems like a time when things were cooler and slower. People still went out to bars or dancing and men and women weren't lying in tranches, kind of hating each other yet. In fact, women usually get a raw deal in most of Walter Hill's movies. But they're also shown as tough and resilient.
So yeah, the movie has no "special" or very unique story (except the idea of "borrowing" a convict, I only saw that in "Live and Die in LA, which came later), but what makes it a winner in my book is:
All in all, I give this movie a strong 7.
In the case of 48 Hours, I feel this unfolds from the very beginning. The unnerving saxophone sound gives you a feeling of impending danger and really drives the movie. It's different from the soundtrack Horner made for the other movies, but I think it's his best out of them (although Red Heat is very good too).
The movie also feels VERY 80s, which to me is a good thing. I was born at the end of 85 and didn't get to experience much of the 80s, but most of my all time favorite shows and movies are usually in the late 70s or 80s. It just seems like a time when things were cooler and slower. People still went out to bars or dancing and men and women weren't lying in tranches, kind of hating each other yet. In fact, women usually get a raw deal in most of Walter Hill's movies. But they're also shown as tough and resilient.
So yeah, the movie has no "special" or very unique story (except the idea of "borrowing" a convict, I only saw that in "Live and Die in LA, which came later), but what makes it a winner in my book is:
- the added comedy by Murphy and Nolte (who couldn't be more different)
- the neat unfolding of the story and how we're taken through it step by step
- the movie actually feels tense
- the amazing soundtrack.
All in all, I give this movie a strong 7.